Device designed for continuous production of graphene flakes by electrochemical method

Abstract

Disclosed is a device designed for a continuous production of graphene flakes by an electrochemical method. The device consists of an electrochemical unit for generating graphene flakes by an electrochemical exfoliation; a filtration unit for separating the graphene flakes from an electrolyte solution; a guiding path connected to the electrochemical unit and transports the graphene flakes and the electrolyte solution into the filtration unit; a grading collection unit for accepting the separated graphene flakes from the filtration unit and separating the graphene flakes by size. The device can achieve the effect of producing high-quality graphene flakes in mass production electrochemically, continuously and quickly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a device for producing graphene, and more particularly to the device for a continuous production of graphene flakes by an electrochemical method.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]In 2004, the research team of Professor A. K. Geim at the University of Manchester, England attached a thin layer of graphite (known as graphene) on an adhesive tape and another adhesive tape on the other side of the graphene, and then torn the two adhesive tapes apart to exfoliate the graphene into two thinner layers, and the aforementioned procedure is repeated for several times to obtain single atomic layer of graphene. Through the observation by a transmission electron microscope (TEM), carbon atoms in graphene has a highly-ordered arrangement.[0005]The graphene has many excellent properties including the high mechanical strength (˜1,100 GPa), hardness, brittleness and flexibility, and gases cannot pe...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method and apparatus for producing graphene flakes using a rotary filter belt, electrolyte solution recycling tank, and a grading collection unit. The filter belt captures the graphene flakes while the electrolyte solution flows down the guiding path. The grading collection unit separates the graphene flakes using a plurality of mesh structures and a vibration device. The technical effects include efficient production of high-quality graphene flakes and separation of different sized graphene flakes.

Problems solved by technology

This method has the feature of producing large-area single-layer or multi-layer graphene easily and the difficulty of controlling the uniformity and thickness of the graphene; (3) Method of growing graphene on an insulating substrate: A very thin layer of graphene is grown on a surface of silicon carbide.

The method has the drawbacks of incurring a high cost and having difficulties of manufacturing large-area graphene; and (4) Method of using organic acidic solvent to insert layers to produce graphene oxide (GO) and obtaining grapheme by a reduction procedure: This method has the drawbacks of requiring a long processing time, and having an inconsistent quality of the grapheme since the reduced grapheme may be deformed or warped easily.

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